38th Meeting of National Council for Vocational Training held in New Delhi

The 38th meeting of the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) under the Chairmanship of Minister for Labour & Employment Shri Mallikarjun Kharge was held New Delhi today.

The main decisions taken are as under:

1. National Policy on Skill Development envisages that “NCVT should be strengthened and re-engineered with a broader mandate and representation”. Accordingly, this forum considered whether NCVT should be made an autonomous professional institution with its own administrative and secretarial set up having regional and state or other local offices as per requirement. NCVT decided that it should be supported by an Act of Parliament.

2. Quality of training cannot be ensured unless trainers are well trained. Accordingly, this forum considered whether training and retraining of instructors should be made mandatory for trainers of ITIs/ITCs.

3. With fast changing technical environment, it is essential to have provision for lifelong learning. Accordingly, this forum will considered following relaxations for passing the All India Trade Test conducted under the aegis of NCVT for trainees of ITIs/ITCs and Crafts Instructor Training.

a. Number of attempts has been enhanced from 3 to 12 for instructor trainee to pass All India Trade Test for Craft Instructors.

b. Number of years for passing All India Trade Test of Craftsmen has been increased from three to five years.

4. It was observed that candidates desirous of enhancing their skills but due to the prescribed upper age limit are deprived from taking admission in ITIs/ITCs. To address the issue, this forum considered to remove the upper age limit for all training courses under Craftsmen Training Scheme.

5. In order to impart necessary skill to the trainees as per work place need and complement their technical skills with other required skills/ information as they enter into the world of work, this forum considered to include the subject “Life Skills” in curricula of ITIs covering the following topics:

· Communication skills

· English Proficiency

· Quality Management tools

· Entrepreneurial skills

· Occupational safety and health

Information Technology IT and Computer literacy are already included.

6. Keeping in view the escalating cost of land and non availability of required land in metropolitan cities, the council decided vertical expansion, with multi storied design for workshop with optimum use of land, and accordingly space norms for housing the trades at different floors in ITIs/ITCs.

7. Under Craftsmen Training Scheme, there is provision for grant of technical books and magazines, sports and recreation, medical, etc. These rates were last revised in year 1995. This forum considered to enhance the rates to 5 times from existing rates.

8. In order to foster a spirit of healthy competition, DGET organizes All India Skill Competition for Craftsmen. Cash awards are given to winners and various incentives to instructional staff is also given to recognize their contribution in achieving the awards. This forum considered to increase the amount of Cash awards by 5 times.

An award presentation function was also held at the 38th Meeting of NCVT on 31st May, 2010. To encourage a spirit of healthy competition, Directorate General of Employment & Training DGET organizes All India Skill Competition for Craftsmen and Apprentices in various trades. All India Skill Competition for Craftsmen is held every year in fourteen trades. The best trainee of each of the above trades at the State level competition, compete All India Skill Competition. Running shield is awarded to the State whose trainees’ secure highest total marks in all the trades in all India Level Competition. All India Skill Competition for Apprentices is held at local, regional & All India Level in 15 trades. A trophy and certificate of merit is awarded from the President of India for the best establishment in all the trades in the All India Competition. Two All India Skill Competitions for Craftsmen viz 44th and 45th were held during November 2008 to May 2010. Winner of 44th competition is State of Kerala and winner of 45th competition is State of Maharashtra. Four All India Skill Competitions for Apprentices (80th to 83rd) were held during above period. TATA Motors Ltd. Pune is winner of 80th competition and BOSCH Ltd. Bangalore is winner of three competitions viz 81st, 82nd and 83rd.